Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Petersburg VA

How to Find the Right Physical Therapist School near Petersburg 23803

Petersburg VA physical therapy school student with volunteer Getting a physical therapy degree near Petersburg VA is an essential first step to beginning a rewarding career in the health care industry. Physical therapists (PT) help patients who have been incapacitated as a result of injury or illness gain back function and mobility. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they need to acquire the necessary training and education. A PT must additionally be licensed in all states, a large number requiring that the licensee earn a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to enrolling in a physical therapy school, it’s necessary to investigate the ones you are thinking about to ensure they will furnish a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is enroll in a school just because it happens to be the nearest to your residence or it has the lowest tuition. There are other significant qualifications that must be evaluated along with cost and location. But before we talk about what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll address what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Petersburg VA physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in varying locations, such as Petersburg VA hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and sports facilities. What the facilities all have in common is that they are equipped for the diagnosis and rehabilitation treatment of patients. As earlier touched on, physical therapists help people that are suffering from a lack of mobility and in many cases pain due to injury or illness. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to deal with the mobility issues and reduce or eliminate any pain. They also try to prevent any advancement of the disability. While the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are numerous, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Strokes.
Heart attacks.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Knee Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Multiple Sclerosis.

Licensed physical therapists work in close partnerships with other Petersburg VA medical specialists, including doctors, chiropractors, dentists and nurses. They may also manage one or more physical therapy assistants who work for them assisting with diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to keep in mind for anyone considering getting into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists often lift patients and heavy equipment, and kneel, crouch and stand for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degree Options

Petersburg VA physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are three physical therapist degrees offered for students to enroll in at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is attainable to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees focus on either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or prepping them to progress to the doctoral level. Below are brief explanations of degrees that are available in the Petersburg VA area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or may be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for enrollment. The programs are most often provided by community colleges, and take about 2 years to complete. An internship or other form of clinical training is normally part of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapist education to prep candidates to progress to the doctoral level. Although they are not required to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an integral preliminary step to practicing as a PT. Similar to most bachelor’s degrees, they normally take 4 years to finish and often include an internship program of at least 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are a requirement in order to become a practicing licensed physical therapist. The degree program also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the total investment of time seven years in the majority of cases. Clinical training is an intregal element in addition to the extensive classroom and lab instruction. Therefor the completion of an internship is required, not only for graduation but in a number of states for licensing as well.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer attainable in the USA. A number of practicing physical therapists having a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the current licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Degrees Online

woman attending physical therapy school online in Petersburg VA Although not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are a number of accredited online physical therapist degrees available, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on structure of the training, clinical lab work and internships are integrated with the online classes. This requires that the student live close to the school campus or in proximity of an available internship. Fortunately, the online segment of the program can be accessed within the convenience and comfort of the student’s Petersburg VA home. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of instances more affordable. Tuition can be significantly less than comparable on campus options, and costs for commuting are reduced. And a number of the online programs are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These advantages may make the online alternative the ideal choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

Questions to Ask Physical Therapy Colleges

At this point you undoubtedly have come to decision regarding several of your initial queries, such as the kind of physical therapy degree you intend to earn, where you prefer to attend classes, and how much you can afford to spend for your education. But since there are numerous PT schools within the Petersburg VA area and throughout Virginia, you’ll need to explore additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Moreover, you need to be sure that you pick the program that is right for you. That’s why we have put together a list of important questions that you need to ask the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. Ask each of the potential colleges these questions before making a final decision.

Is the Physical Therapy Program Accredited? Find out if the programs you are reviewing have received accreditation from a regional or a national agency. As previously mentioned, if you are pursuing a doctoral degree the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you choose an online college, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist school and program you enroll in are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, verify that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to guaranteeing that you receive an excellent education, accreditation may be required for state licensing and even for getting student loans or financial aid.

What is the Program’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s important that the school and program you pick have outstanding reputations within the physical therapist profession. There are a number of ways you can research a PT school’s reputation, beginning with asking for references from employers that they place their graduates with. You can also search for online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. Call a few Petersburg VA physical therapist centers or other health care facilities that you may be interested in working for and ask if they can give you any recommendations about your school selections. It may also be a good idea to contact the Virginia Attorney General and school licensing authority to see if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the Program’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of useful statistics that you need to know about all of the physical therapist programs you are considering. One is their graduation rate. A low rate might mean that students dropped out due to displeasure with the program, the teachers, or both. Once the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Petersburg VA area? If a school has a higher job placement rate, it suggests that its reputation within the healthcare field is good or even excellent. It also affirms that the program has a broad network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment upon graduation.

Does the School Support Licensing Requirements? It’s imperative that the school you enroll in furnishes both superior training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for Virginia or the state where you will be working. In each state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) along with a degree from an accredited physical therapist school. While licensing requirements differ state by state for PTA and PT graduates, many states require a minimum number of clinical hours be completed as well as passing scores on additional exams.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Inquire if the physical therapist colleges you are evaluating have associations with Petersburg VA hospitals or clinics for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific means to obtain practical training in a clinical environment, they are also a requirement for most PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may help students and graduates form professional connections in the Petersburg medical community and assist with obtaining employment after licensing.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a smaller class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are researching what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to converse with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they decide on will have to be within commuting distance of their Petersburg VA home. Students who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

Is Financial Assistance Provided? The majority of DPT colleges supply some type of financial support to their potential students. Inquire if the colleges you are reviewing have a financial aid department and find out what kind of aid is available. At a minimum they should help in securing a student loan or any grants you may qualify for. A number of physical therapist colleges offer scholarships, while others provide work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, ask what financial aid may be available.

Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the physical therapy program you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Petersburg VA area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family obligations.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Petersburg Virginia?

If you are planning on attending a Physical Therapy School in the Petersburg VA area, the following information may prove to be both interesting and educational regarding the location of your future Alma Mater.

Petersburg, Virginia

Petersburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 32,420.[3] The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines Petersburg (along with the city of Colonial Heights) with Dinwiddie County for statistical purposes. It is located on the Appomattox River and 21 miles (34 km) south of the state capital of Richmond. The city's unique industrial past and its location as a transportation hub combined to create wealth for Virginia and the region.

Early in the colonial era, Petersburg was the final destination on the Upper Appomattox Canal Navigation System because of its location on the Appomattox River at the fall line (the head of navigation of rivers on the U.S. east coast) was a strategic place for transportation and commercial activities. It connected commerce as far inland as Farmville, Virginia, to shipping on the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean.[4] For similar reasons, Fort Henry was built at Petersburg to protect the river.

As railroads were constructed in the state in the 1830s, Petersburg was developed as a major transfer point for both north-south and east-west competitors. The Petersburg Railroad was one of the earliest predecessors of the modern-day CSX Transportation system. Several of the earliest predecessors of the area's other major Class 1 railroad, Norfolk Southern, also met at Petersburg. Access to railroads stimulated industry in the city, which was already established because of the water power available at the fall line, as the river plunged from the Piedmont to lower lands.

Select the Best Physical Therapist Training Program near Petersburg VA

Deciding on the right physical therapist program is a necessary first decision you must make to launch a rewarding career in the health care profession. As we have covered in this article, the PT or DPT degree program and college you choose should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. But there are additional relevant questions that you should ask pertaining to your college of choice also. As you begin your search for a physical therapy program, keep in mind that numerous factors will lead you to your ultimate decision. You may want to go to different colleges to view their facilities and speak with active DPT students. While there, ask yourself this critical question: will this program help me achieve my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By adhering to our list of additional questions, you will be able to narrow down the field so you can make the right selection. And with the necessary education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Petersburg VA.